Rotary type ice cube maker



Jan. 10, 1961 E. .1.'BuzlcKY 2,967,406

ROTARY TYPE ICE CUBE MAKER Filed sept. 4, 1956 s sheets-sheet 1 INVENTOR famand EaZ/'chg' Y @ma AQTQRNEY Jan. 10, 1961 E. J. BuzlcKY ROTARY TYPE ICE CUBE MAKER Filed sept. 4, 195e 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 N .bm

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ROTARY TYPE ICE CUBE MAKER Filed Sept. 4, 1956 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTOR famana J Baz/'dry BY .@Afgm United States Patent O ROTARY TYPE ICE CUBE MAKER Edmund J. Buzicky, St. Paul, Minn., assignor to Whirlpool Corporation, a corporation of Delaware Filed Sept. 4, 1956, Ser. No. 607,684

7 Claims. (Cl. 62-340) This invention relates to an improvement in rotary type ice cube maker and deals particularly with an apparatus for producing ice cubes and which is so designed that it may be incorporated in a household refrigerator.

In the past few years household refrigerators have been placed on the market which incorporate apparatus for producing ice cubes automatically. Such structures are so arranged as to produce ice cubes and to deposit these cubes in a storage bin or tray. The arrangement also usually includes some means of halting the production after a predetermined time or when a predetermined quantity of cubes have been made to prevent the over filling of the bin or tray.

The present invention resides in the provision of an ice cube maker of the general class described and which may b e incorporated in a household refrigerator. The present structure differs from most of the previous structures in that it comprises a pair of tray-shaped structures secured in base to base relation and rotatably supported on a substantially horizontal axis so that when one tray is in upright position, the other is in inverted position. Accordingly, while one tray is being filled, the ice cubes may drop from the other tray into a suitable bin or tray supported beneath the unit.

A feature of the present invention resides in the fact that the two trays are mounted in heat transfer relation so that as water which is Well above the freezing temperature is directed into the upright tray, some of the heat is transmitted to the inverted tray, thus causing the ice cubes in the inverted tray to melt from the walls thereof sufficiently to drop into the storage bin.

A further feature of the present invention lies in the provision of a supply apparatus which will supply a predetermined quantity of water to the upright tray, this quantity being sufficient to substantially fill the cells or comparments of the upright tray. While the walls separating the various compartments are integral with the bottom and side walls of the tray, the upper edges of the partition walls may be notched so that the various compartments will be evenly filled without providing a strong area of connection between the cubes formed in the various cells.

A further feature of the present invention lies in the provision of a novel and effective mechanism for rotating the cube freezing tray structure. Means is provided for rotating a rotatable member at a very small rate of speed which may, for example, be one revolution per hour or even slower. This rotatable member is designed to engage a cooperable member which is connected to the rotating shaft of the cube freezing tray. Each time the driven rotatable member completes one-half a revolution the rotatable means operates to rotate the tray supporting shaft one-half revolution, this action taking place in an extremely short space of time. As a result, one of the trays is always directed upwardly except for the time required to quickly rotate the tray structure through another half revolution.

These and other objects and novel features of the rice present invention will be more clearly and fully set forth in the following specification and claims.

In the drawings forminga part of the specification:

Figure 1 is an elevational view of a portion of a refrigerator, showing the ice cube freezing unit incorporated therein.

Figure 2 is a sectional view through the refrigerator looking toward the cube freezing unit.

Figure 3 is an enlarged detail showing the means employed for rotating the tray structure through one-half revolution.

Figure 4 is a rear elevational view of the tray rotating structure shown in Figure 3.

Figure 5 is a top plan View of the tray turning unit shown in Figures 3 and 4.

Figure 6 is a sectional View showing the tray supporting structure.

Figure 7 is a section on line 7-7 of Figure 6.

The refrigerator is designated in general by the letter A. This refrigerator is only partially illustrated as the details of construction thereof are optional. Figure l of the drawings is a sectional view through a portion of the refrigerator forwardly of the evaporator unit and showing the evaporator unit in front elevation. The ice cube making apparatus is indicated in general by the letter B and is incorporated in the evaporator enclosure.

The refrigerator A is indicated as having an outer shell 10 and an inner liner 11 which is spaced inwardly of the outer shell 10. The space between the two shells is normally filled with insulation as indicated at 12. Figure 1 shows in section a portion of one side wall and a portion of the top of the refrigerator while Figure 2 illustrates a portion of the rear wall and a portion of the top. The refrigerator side wall is indicated by the numeral 13, the top wall is indicated by the numeral 14, and the rear wall is indicated in general by the numeral 15.

Suspended from the top wall 14 is provided an evaporator enclosure 18 which forms a cold or freezing compartment near the upper extremity of the refrigerator and which is normally used for the storage of ice cube trays, frozen foods and the like. The enclosure 18 includes side walls such as 16 and a bottom wall 17. A partition wall 19 also extends upwardly from the bottom wall 17 to divide the enclosure 18 into separate compartments. A top evaporator chamber 20 is provided just beneath the lining 11 of the top wall 14 and this chamber 20 includes evaporator coils -for cooling the air within the vevaporator enclosure. The detail of this structure is not illustrated as it is somewhat of a matter of choice.

A front closure plate 21 extends between the partition wall 19 and the side wall 16' to close the upper portion of this compartment. As indicated in Figure 2 of the drawings, the rear of the compartment between the walls 16 and 19 (indicated by the numeral 22) is also enclosed by the closure panel 23. The panels 21 and 23 support aligned bushings or bearings 24 and 25, respectively, which rotatably support a shaft 26.

The cube freezing tray apparatus is indicated in general by the numeral 27. The tray structure 27 includes a pair of similar trays 29 and 30 which may, if desired, be unitarily formed and which are secured in base tobase relation so that when one tray is in upright position, the other tray is in inverted position. Each tray is shown as having a longitudinally extending central partition member 32 therein and each tray also includes a series of parallel longitudinally spaced transversely extending partition walls 33. The partition walls 32, as well as the various partition walls 33, increase in thickness toward the base of the tray so that ice cubes frozen therein will readily drop therefrom when the tray is inverted. The side walls 34, as well as the end walls 35 of the trays are 3 also tapering in thickness toward the base of each tray for a similar reason As will be noted in Figure 1 of the drawings, each of the transverse partition walls 33 is provided with a central notch 36 in its upper edge so that liquid may spill from one compartment into another without flooding over the tops of the partition walls. This is to simplify the filling of the various compartments without providing large areas of connection between the ice cubes in different compartments. In a similar manner, notches 37 are provided in the longitudinally extending partition walls 32 between each pair of side by side cells or compartments to further assist in equalizing the filling of the various compartments.

A sleeve-like socket 39 is provided on one end of the tray structure 27 centrally between the sides of the tray structure and at the meeting line between the two trays. A similar sleeve or socket 40 is provided on the other end wall of the tray structure. The socket 39 is designed to accommodate an end of the drive shaft 26 and may be pinned thereto as indicated at 41 so as to rotate in unison with the shaft 26. The sleeve 4t! accommodates one end of a stub shaft 42 which projects through the bearing 24 and is supported thereby. The shaft 26 extends through the bearing 25 at the rear of the compartment 22. A

The inner portion 43 of a mechanism enclosure 44 extends into the rear wall of the refrigerator, projecting inwardly from the outer covering 10. In the particular form illustrated, the mechanism housing is pan-shaped in form and includes a generally cylindrical body wall 45 and a circular base panel 46 connected to the inner` extremity thereof. A mounting ange 47 extends peripherally about the marginal edge of the body wall 45.

The outer section 49 of the mechanism enclosure 44 is somewhat similarly shaped, including a body wall :'i, a generally circular base panel 51, and an anchoring ange 52 which may be connected in surface contact with the flange 47 of the inner section 43. The inner section 43 extends through a circular aperture 53 in the outer covering panel 10 of the rear wall 15 and the enclosure is secured in place by metal screws 54 or other suitable means.

The panel 43 supports a bearing 55 which is aligned with the bearings and 24. The shaft 26 extends through a sealing sleeve or bearing 56 secured to the rear wall liner 11, through the bearing member 55 and into the interior of the mechanism enclosure 44.

A motor 57 is supported in any suitable manner within the enclosure 44 and operates to drive a power shaft 59 at a slow rate of speed. The speed of rotation of the shaft 59 determines the frequency at which the tray structure 27 will invert and, accordingly, this speed, as well as the gear ratio between the shaft 59 and the shaft 26 may be regulated to keep the ice in the ice cube trays a time sufficient to insure the solid freezing of the cubes.

A shaft 60 is suitably coupled by a coupler 61 to the shaft 59 and a pinion 62 mounted upon the shaft 60 rotates in unison therewith, The pinion 62 acts to rotate a relatively large gear 63 supported upon a hub 64 which is freely rotatable about the shaft 26. A second hub 65 is also freely rotatable relative to the shaft Z6 and acts to support a weight arm 66 which extends in a generally radial direction from the shaft 26. A sleeve 67 is mounted at the outer end of the shaft 66 to provide a weight on this arm at a substantial distance fromI the axis of the shaft 26.

A second weight 69 is slidably supported upon the arrn 66 and is free to slide between the hub 65 and the outer weight 67. This slidable weight 69 projects in an axial direction toward the base plate 46 of the inner mechanism enclosure member 43. The arm 66, as well as the opening in the slidable member 69 through which the arm extends are multisided in shape or the member 69 may be splined or keyed onto the arm so as to be held from rotation relative with respect thereto.

As indicated in Figure 4 of the drawings, the weight 67 projects forwardly from the arm 66 with respect to the direction of rotation of the arm 66 about the axis of the shaft 26. The purpose of this arrangement is to provide an overbalancing force tending to swing the arm 66 about the axis of the shaft 26 when it reaches the `upright position indicated in Figure 4 of the drawings.

A hub 70 is pinned or otherwise connected to the shaft 26 as indicated at 71. As is indicated in Figure 4 of the drawings, the hub 70 is provided with a pair of oppositely directed fingers 72 and 73 which extend in opposite directions from the hub 70 in a direction substantially tangent with respect thereto. The two fingers 72 and 73 are substantially parallel as is indicated in Figure 4 of the drawings.

A collar 74 is pinned or otherwise fastened to the shaft 26 as indicated at 75 to hold the hub 64 and hub 65 from moving axially of the shaft 26. A lug 76 is provided projecting laterally from the gear 63 and this lug 76 is engageable with the arm 66 upon rotation of the gear 63.

The operation of this portion of the mechanism is as follows:

The motor 5'7 rotates constantly when the unit is being energized, rotating the shaft 60 and the pinion 62 at a very slow angular rate of speed. The pinion 62 engages the gear 63 and rotates this gear with its hub about the axis of the shaft 26. During most of the travel of the arm 66, the shaft 26 remains stationary.

When the weight arm 66 is in vertical position extending downwardly from its freely rotatable supporting hub 65, the slidable weight 69 has moved longitudinally of the arm 66 and engages the outer weight 67. While in this position, the gear 63 engages the weight arm 66 through the lug 76 and the weight arm is rotated upwardly in unison with the gear 63 through an angular distance of somewhat more than ninety degrees.

When the weight arm 66 rotates until its weighted end is somewhat above the end of the arm connected to the hub 65, the weight 69 will slide downwardly along the weight arm 66 until it is in engagement with the hub 65 or in the position illustrated. As the weight arm rotates into the position illustrated in Figure 4 of the drawings, the lateral projection 77 of the slidable weight 69 engages the ringer 72 mounted on the hub 70 which is keyed to the shaft 26. As a result, the shaft 26 is rotated with the arm 66 until the center of gravity of the arm 66 and its supporting weights 67 and 69 passes the axis of the shaft 26 at which time the weight 67 will swing through an angular distance of 180 degrees or so that it is suspended downwardly from the shaft 26. As the slidable weight 69 is in engagement with the finger 72, the shaft 26 and the tray structure 27 is simultaneously rotated approximately 180 degrees.

Whethe arm 66 swings into downwardly suspended position, the slidable weight 69 slides by gravity outwardly on the shaft 66 until it again engages the weight 67. Frictional engagement between the slidable weight 69 and the finger 72 holds the weight 69 from sliding outwardly while the arm 66 is swinging the finger 72 and shaft 26 through one-half revolution. As a result, the position of the fingers 72 and 73 are reversed and the nger 73 is projecting upwardly from its hub. The outward movement of the slidable weight 69 moves this slidable weight out of engagement with the arm 72 so that further rotation of the shaft 26 will not take place.

A spray nozzle 79 of suitable design is supported to extend through the liner panel 11 of the top wall 14 and is connected by a connection 80 to a suitable source of water supply. The flow of liuid through thelline 80 is, controlled in any suitable way so as to provide the proper amount of water for filling the various compartments of 5. the uppermost tray. An elfort is made to supply just sucient water to fill all of the compartments up to the bases the notches 36 and 37. If insuflicient water is provided, the cubes formed in the end compartments of the trays may be slightly smaller than the remainder of the cubes.

For the purpose of illustration, the water supply line 80 is shown as provided with a valve 81 of the type which remains open for a predetermined period of time and thus may be capable of dispensing a predetermined amount of water. Also for the purpose of illustration, the gear 63 is shown as being provided with a pin 82 which is momentarily engageable with a switch 83 to close a circuit momentarily. As is diagrammatically illustrated in Figure 2 of the drawings, a circuit is provided including line wires 84 and 85 one of which is connected to one blade of the switch 83 and the other of which is connected to the solenoid coil 86 to the other blade of the switch 83. The coil 86 forms a part of the valve 81 and acts to initiate the operation thereof. Once the operation is initiated, the valve remains open for a predetermined period so that a desired measured quantity of water is dispensed.

The particular means illustrated in the drawings is probably not the most effective manner of operation and probably the use of a metering tank in the supply line would be preferable. However, the valve arrangement described is one form of arrangement which could be used to produce the desired result. l

A means is also provided for closing olf the operation of the ice cube freezer when suiicient cubes are in the ice cube storage bin. The storage bin is indicated in general by the numeral 87 and comprises an open topped receptacle which is normally positioned on the bottom panel 17 of the evaporator enclosure beneath the ice cube freezing trays. A deector 89 is provided on the back panel 23 to insure the deection of ice cubes into the storage bin. As this bin or tray is substantially wider than the freezing trays, no trouble is normally experienced by ice cubes spilling over the sides of the storage tray.

The rear end of the tray ,is supported by legs 90 which rest upon the bottom panel 17 of the evaporator enclosure. The forward end of the tray is provided with a loop handle 91 which is pivotally connected to the forward edge lof the tray as indicated at 92. A hanger strap 93 is engageable with the hand-le 90 and is provided with a hook-shaped lower end 94 into which the handle may be engaged.

The upper extremity of the hanger strap 93 is provided wtith a rearwardly extending ange 95 through which a pair of supension bolts 96 extend. The bolts 96 extend substantially below the ange 95 and springs 97 encircle these bolts 96 and form a spring suspension for the hanger strap. As the supply of ice cubes in the storage bin 87 increases, the weight of these cubes acts to compress the springs 97 to a greater and greater extent, lowering the inturned flange 95.

A switch element 99 is suspended from the liner 11 or from a downturned flange 100 connected to the liner 11. This switch mechanism 99 is actuated when the flange 95 drops Ito a predetermined level. Accordingly, when a sufficient store of ice cubes is present in the bin 87, the switch 99 will be actuated to break the circuit to the motor 57. This motor 57 will then remain idle until some of the ice has been removed from the bin.

Figure 2 of the drawings diagrammatically illustrates that the line wire 85 is connected by a conductor 101 to one terminal of the motor 57. The other line wire 84 is connected to the other motor termin-a1v through a conductor 102 which includes the normally closed switch 99. This switch is pulled into open position by the weight of the ice cubes to break the circuit to the motor.

It will be seen that the ice cube making apparatus is extremely simple in operation and is extremely inexpensive to produce. In view of the fact that the shaft 26 is only operated at long intervals, as for example once per hour or even substantially less, the motor 57 may be extremely small as it is geared down to a very slow speed. the added motor 57 is almost negligible.

As the control switch 99 is also simple in form it may be produced at low cost. The mechanism for rotating the tray structure at intervals is also simple and inexpensive to produce. At the same time, the apparatus has been shown to function very electively for its intended purpose- In accordance with the patent statutes, I have described the principles of construction and operation of my rotary vtype ice cube maker, and while I have endeavored to set forth the best embodiment thereof, I desire to have it understood that obvious changes may be made within the scope of the following claims without departing from the spirit of my invention.

I claim:

1. An ice cube making apparatus including an axis, a plurality of trays arranged in angularly spaced relation about said axis, means maintaining one off said trays in upright position at all times except during rotation of said trays about said axis, means including a weight spaced from said axis operable at predetermined intervals to rotate said trays about said axis in angular distance equal to the angular spacing of said trays, and a continuously rotatable motor for elevating said weight means.

2. An ice cube making apparatus including an axis, a plurality of trays arranged in angularly spaced relation about said axis, means maintaining one of said trays in upright position at all times except during rotation of said trays about said axis, means including alweight spaced from said axis operable at predetermined inter vals to rotate said trays about said axis in angular distance equal to the angular spacing of said trays, and a-lost motion structure forming a part of said means including said weight for rotating said tray at intervals.

3. In combination, a pair of trays arranged in back to back relation about -a common substantially horizontal axis, shaft means rotatable with said trays about said axis, a continuously operable motor for rotating said trays about said axis, a first rotatable means rotated by said motor about said axis, a second means rotatable 'about said axis, said second means including a weight offset from said axis, means on said first rotatable means rotatable about said axis for engaging said second means rotatable about said axis for rotating said second means through an angular distance of approximately rotating said weight to a position above said axis, said weight on said second means being operable, upon rotation through approximately 180, to rotate said second means by gravity through a second 180, and means on said second means rotatable about said laxis for engaging said shaft means for rotating said shaft means an angular distance of 180 at spaced intervals.

4. An ice cube maker including a plurality of trays arranged in equally spaced relation about a substantially horizontal axis, means maintaining one of said trays in an upright position at all times except during rotation of said trays about said axis, a continuously rotatable drive means rotatable about said axis, a driven member rotatable about said axis, means on said drive means engageable with said d-riven member to move said driven member a predetermined angular distance during Veach rotation of said drive means, said driven member including a weight offset from said axis and operable to rotate said driven member independently of said drive means when said weight is rotated past a position vertically above said horizontalaxis, and means on said driven member engageable with said trays to rotate said trays about said axis an angular distance equal to the angular spacing between said trays.

5. An ice cube maker including a pair of ice cube trays secured in opposed relation, means rotatably sup- Accordingly, the current drain for operating Y porting said'v trays for movement about a substantially horizontalaxis so astto position one tray directed upwardly while the` other. tray is directed downwardly,

means for fillingthe upper tray with water, .and means.

operable at predetermined intervals for inverting the position of the trays including means for storing mechanical energy while the water. inthe upper tray is freezing and. releasing said energy at atime after saidwater has had a chance to freeze to eiect said inversion, said means` operable at intervals. for inverting the trays including a,

continuously operable motor for accomplishing the energy storing function.

6. An ice cube maker including a plurality of trays. arranged in equally spaced relation about a substantiallyf horizontal axis, meansrnaintaining one of said trays in an `upright position at all times=except during rotation of said traysv about said axis, a continuously rotatable drive means rotatable `about said axis, a driven member rotatable about said axis, means on said drive means engageable with said driven member to move said driven member a predetermined angular ydistance during each rotation of said drive means, means on said driven member slidably supported on said driven member for movement in a generally radial direction between two extreme positions, means connected to said trays and engageable with said means on said driven member in one position thereof and disengageable therefrom in the other position thereof, rotation of said driven member `acting to move said means on said drivenmember by gravity between said positions, said means-` on said driven member being capable of rotating saiddriven member independently of said drive means when thecenter of gravity of said weight passes beyond apositionverticatlly `above said axis.

7. An ice'cube making 'apparatus including a pair of traysarranged in a` back to baclerclation, a rotatable shaft .associated withA the trays. for 1 movingsaid traysY through aboutfa horizontal axis, an arm rotatable about said axis and relative to said shaft, a rst weight member mounted adjacent the free end of said arm, a second weight member slidably supported on said arm 1 intermediate theshaft and said iirst weight member, a

pair of oppositely extending projections carried by said shaft insubstantial angular alignment with said trays and respectively engageable by said second weight member when said second weight member is remote from saidiirst weight member, continuously rotating means having a lug engageable with said arm so as to rotate said arm and thereby elevate said first weight member, whereby `when said first weight member is elevated to its uppermost position said second weight member will have gravitationally slid into engagement with one of said projections so that when said rst weight member is moved slightly beyond its uppermost position it will move gravitationally downward to move said trays through 180.

References Cited `in the ile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 824,062 Bragstad June 19, 1906 1,493,303 Wasserman May 6, 1924 1,564,756 Clisson Dec. 8, 1925 1,568,015 Williams et al Dec. 29, 1925 1,569,420 Clisson Jan. 12, 1926 2,407,058 Clum Sept. 3, 1946 2,526,262 MunshowerI Oct. 17, 1950 2,545,558 RussellV Mar. 20, 1951 2,559,414 Erickson July 3, 1951 2,569,113 Munshower Sept. 25, 1951 2,730,865 Murdock,...` Jan. 17, 1956 2,771,749 Miller Nov. 27, 1956 2,778,198 Heath Jan. 22, 1957 

